Manalapan Pet Wellness Services

Pet Wellness Examinations

Prevention is the key to your pet's long-term health. If a health problem or issue can be detected in its early stages, there is a far greater likelihood it can be resolved and treated with less difficulty, less expense and greater success. To best protect your pet, Dr. Farber and the medical team at Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital recommend complete wellness examinations once a year.

Complete examinations are our chance to assess your pet's overall health, discuss any changes seen, educate and update you on advancements and medical care, and for you to discuss any concerns or questions you may have. Laboratory tests may be suggested to pick up on problems before they may be evident to the owner.

Your pet's annual preventative healthcare exam at our animal hospital in Manalapan includes our commitment to:

• Examine teeth, throat and oral cavity
• Examine the eyes and surrounding structures
• Examine the ears for infection, ear mites, allergies, and other related conditions
• Examine the respiratory system
• Assess your pet's heart
• Evaluate ambulation
• Palpate lymph nodes and abdomen
• Inspect the skin
• Palpate joints and muscles for arthritis and other orthopedic conditions
• Possible laboratory tests to check for abnormalities, internal parasites, other organ metabolic conditions, and infections

If needed, we also provide your pet with a complimentary nail trim at every wellness appointment.

Deworming and Fecal Check: Dangerous parasites are always present in the environment. If brought into your home, these parasites including ticks and fleas, can be passed from your pet to you and your family. Regular fecal checks and deworming are the best way to prevent parasitic disease and the transmission of intestinal parasites to your pet and family.

Regular Blood Work: A complete preventative healthcare exam includes a heartworm test, parasite screening, and other possible metabolic organ screening blood tests. A complete blood count (CBC) identifies the presence of underlying disease processes, but these tests help create a baseline should your pet become ill. Additionally, blood work is necessary if a dental cleaning, flouride traeatments, or any other procedure that requires anesthesia is recommended.

Be aware of small changes in your pet's body weight, appetite, water intake, urination and bowel-habits, general attitude and activity level. Should your pet exhibit any changes or signs of these conditions, please give us a call.

During each examination, we also listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and give you all the information you need to be the best caregiver to your pet. We also spend time discussing your pet's nutritional needs, socialization, house training, grooming and bathing and exercise needs. Good communication between you and your pet's doctor ensures your beloved companion is receiving the optimal care and attention needed to live a long and healthy life.

Manalapan Pet Vaccinations

Current vaccinations play a large part in keeping your pet healthy and free from disease. However, not every pet requires the same series or frequency of vaccines. Our veterinarians tailor a vaccine protocol specific to your pet based on his or her breed, age, lifestyle and recommendations from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Core Puppy Vaccines: DHPP (combined Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza), Rabies, Bordetella
Core Kitten Vaccines: FVRCP (combined Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia), Rabies
Additional Adult Dog Vaccines: Lyme Disease, Leptospirosis, Canine Influenza
Additional Adult Cat Vaccines: Feline Leukemia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Your pet's vaccine schedule is optimized to provide needed protection while not over-vaccinating. Please contact us for more information about our individualized schedules.

Caring for Your New Puppy or Kitten

Bringing a puppy or kitten home is a very exciting time for you and your family. Our doctors and veterinary team at Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital share your joy and are here to support you with individualized puppy and kitten health advice and home care guidance.

Our puppy and kitten recommendations are designed to cover all the fundamental health care needs of your new pet during his/her early life stages. We partner with you to create a health plan so your new companion receives the vaccinations and examinations required to get the best start in life.

Your puppy's or kitten's first year of care at Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital will include:

• Physical Examinations: Your new pet's wellness starts with its first comprehensive nose-to-tail physical exam. Puppies and kittens should have regular exams between the ages of 8-20 weeks. These visits are important because they provide our veterinarians with an opportunity to assess your pet's overall health and to give behavior, nutrition, and house-training advice to establish a healthy future for you and your pet.


• Vaccinations: Due to their developing immune systems, puppies and kittens must receive a series of properly staged vaccines. Because every puppy and kitten is unique, we tailor our vaccination recommendations based on their lifestyle and/or breed and according to the suggested medical guidelines.


• Diagnostic Testing: Puppies should be tested for Heartworm and kittens tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS and other infectious and parasitic diseases to establish a healthy start.


• Additional Recommendations: Your veterinarian will also discuss and recommend other services, such as parasite control, spaying, neutering and microchipping. Do you have questions about nutrition, training, vaccinations, grooming, parasite protection, or overall health? What about tips for introducing your new pet to other pets and family members? We take plenty of time during these visits to offer health care and training advice, and discuss any concerns. This is your new kitten or puppy and we're happy to answer all your questions.

Puppy and kitten visits are an excellent way to get your new pet started on the road to a happy, healthy life. Let's take these important first steps together. Please call today to schedule an appointment for us to meet your new pet!

Senior Pet Care

Older pets make wonderful companions, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever. Dr. Farber has a special interest in our senior patients and considers geriatric pet care to be one of the most rewarding services we provide.

Dr. Farber and the medical staff at Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital work with you to develop a health care plan that ensures your pet is comfortable and happy throughout his or her golden years. We recommend all senior pets undergo a through physical examination twice a year. During your pet's examination, we perform tests that can detect the signs of heart disease, infection, diabetes, kidney disease and other health problems. In some cases, conditions that may look like the usual signs of old age could be signs of a more serious problem such as arthritis, periodontal disease, kidney failure or cancer.

Many clients believe that as their pets age, it is inevitable that their quality of life will decline. This is not necessarily true. There are many medications and treatments now available for conditions such as arthritis and cognitive dysfunction. Veterinarians can now remove cataracts from blind dogs and regularly treat heart and kidney disease.

With our help, you can prolong your pet's good health and well-being, even as he/she grows older. We can make sure you and your faithful companion enjoy many more years together.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance; they carry diseases dangerous to both your pet and family members.

Prevalent tick-borne diseases in New Jersey include Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and tick paralysis. They can be a significant threat you and your dog. Ticks and fleas me survive in the grass and weeds that your dog may run through on family outings or during regular daily activities. Check and brush your dog after being outside, especially in grassy or brushy areas. If ticks are visible on your cat or dog, please notify us. We see ticks on dogs during all seasons of the year, not just the summer months.

Fleas are most common in summer and fall; however, if left untreated, they can be a problem year-round. In fact, flea infestation is one of the most common medical problems veterinarians see. Your pet can be allergic to fleas, and just one bite can result in a severely painful skin infection. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases such as bartonellosis (the bacteria that causes “cat scratch disease” in people), and parasites like tapeworms.

The best course of action to protect your pet and yourself from fleas, ticks, and the potential of tick-borne disease is prevention. There are many safe, effective flea and tick control products available at our hospital, that can be administered orally or topically and our veterinary staff will help you choose the correct preventive program based on your pet's risk factors and health status. We also offer a Lyme disease vaccination and we recommend discussing whether it is right for your pet with one of our veterinarians.

Heartworm Disease and Your Manalapan Pet

Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It affects dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats. Today, heartworm disease is found almost everywhere in the continental United States.

Clinical symptoms of heartworm disease develop very slowly. Early symptoms include lack of energy, exercise intolerance, coughing and difficulty breathing. Because heartworm disease is increasing in frequency and is a serious and deadly disease, we recommend that your dog be tested annually.

Fortunately, heartworm disease prevention is simple and effective. If you would like to find out more information on how best to protect your pet from this dangerous parasite or if you'd like to have your pet tested for Heartworm disease, please call Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital today for an appointment.

Pocket Pet & Avian Care

We offer medical and surgical care for guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, rodents, and African hedgehogs as well as wellness care for birds. Since it is often difficult to determine if these pets are ill, we strongly recommend routine physical examinations to check for health problems and nutritional and husbandry-related problems. Nutrition and husbandry practices are the number one cause of mortality in small pets.

To survive attacks from their predators, exotic animals normally conceal their illnesses in the wild. As a result, their medical problems often go unnoticed for long periods. By the time you recognize there is a problem with your exotic pet, the condition is often extremely serious and life threatening.

Before bringing your new exotic pet home, a complete preventative wellness appointment at our animal hospital is strongly recommended. This exam includes a physical examination, husbandry and nutritional consultation, disease screening and laboratory testing if indicated. For your pet's protection and your peace of mind, you want to make sure your new pet has a healthy start.

Our staff of skilled professionals are trained in the care and husbandry of small mammals and can provide you the information you need to keep your pet healthy.

If you would like more information about the veterinary wellness services that Manalapan Animal Clinic & Hospital offers for your pet, or to schedule an appointment at our animal hospital in Manalapan, please call (732) 536-1888.